Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Rob Marshall brings a little "Penzance" to "Pirates"

In what could typically be called "Captain Jack and the Last Crusade", we say goodbye to Will and Elizabeth Turner and hello to a more expensive look, drearier set pieces, and a more puzzling plot line. But, one benefit of the Pirates films is that no matter how twisted the story may be, and no matter how questionable things may get, everything seems to fall into place. The franchise has always had a firm rooting in faith and spirituality, and things seemingly happening for a reason, which the hint of a moral compass always guiding the way, so... in that aspect, the film gives itself room to take outlandish turns, so lang as everything fits. On Stranger Tides is certainly no exception to this rule, but At World's End had that market cornered. 

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Rango

Ride 'em, Rango

I wasn't prepared for Rango to be as dark as it was. Gore Verbinski has always been a director to dabble into life's bigger questions with a lot of subtle ease, without losing the ostensibly fun side to his films. But, with this being a Nickelodeon production, and being animated, and all that, I was blind-sided by the depth of the screenplay by John Logan, and the heartfelt genuineness of Johnny Depp's performance as a chameleon with an identity crisis. To be fair, the screenplay's base elements are very standard - there is a formula, and you know where the film is headed as soon as it starts. But, to the film's credit, on the flip side, everything that happens in between is remarkably intelligent. 

And the whole thing feels like a painting. Gotta love that. 

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